Company Interviews: Jennifer Dzialoszynskias Emilia

We asked Jennifer Dzialoszynski who plays Emilia in our production of Othello, a few questions about herself, the play, and karaoke...

Jennifer Dzialoszynski as Emilia. Photo by Jonas Widdifield.

Everyone refers to Iago as 'honest.' What attribute do people sometimes falsely give to you?People often assume I am an only child. I'm never quite sure what do to with that... should I be insulted? Flattered? Who's to say? I am, in fact, a middle child, which is a position I think I fit into quite well, though also one that could be construed as negative, but I don't think so. I think the middle is the glue that holds the ends together, and I'm into it, even if it does mean that things stick to me.

Othello takes place on the island of Cyprus. What's your dream sunny vacation spot?I would give up a lot to get to go back to New Zealand! It is an incredible place with all kinds of temperatures and ecological wonders! (Nerd alert!). In the same trip I stood on an active marine volcano, swam under waterfalls, saw (and smelled) the earth literally boiling before my eyes, and went skydiving over a glacier. It is an incredible place!

What have you done with Shakespeare BASH'd before? What's unique about working on this production?Before getting on stage in a BASH'd show I did fight direction for productions of Romeo & Juliet,Taming of the Shrew, and Macbeth. Since those days I have acted in Hamlet as Laertes, and last year Richard III as Lady Anne, and the Lord Mayor. With all BASH'd shows the focus is the text, which I love. The thing that makes each show so unique is the collection of voices saying the words out loud. There are many cast members who I have never had the pleasure of working with before now, and it's wonderful to hear things from different perspectives, which really lets me hear the text in ways I haven't before.

What might people be interested to know about your take on your character?It's been really fascinating figuring out what I need and don't need in terms of logic and time for this show. When thinking through a show/character I always try to find my own logic or reasons for the events that unfold. The story of Othello has a very fluid and complex (or nonsensical) concept of time, so when trying to figure out the 'when' or the 'how long' of things, it can get really muddy. Some of the joy for me has been realizing that in certain instances I can just let that go, and that actually helps solidify things for me more than trying to nail down a realistic chronology.

Shakespeare BASH'd is known for their love of karaoke. What's your go-to karaoke song?Where to even begin with this?! There are so many factors when choosing a karaoke song; what's the mood in the room? What are the songs that have gone before? Do we need to kick it up a notch, or slow it down a bit? A song for every time/vibe/collection of people, but I always love me some Alanis, Jewel, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Amanda Marshall... and the list goes on. One of my favourite things is helping others to find the karaoke song of their dreams. Come karaoke with me!!!